Dear Amelia
by canibecandid
Summary: Dear Amelia, I don't know who you are yet and you don't know me; but I know that I love you. Your Future Mother, Ella
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I still don't own Camp Rock, but I do own the ideas.

If you haven't read "Novelty", " Never Have I Ever", "Rose Garden", "Painting Wild Flowers", "Sharing", "Winning Roses", "In Sickness", "All in the Timing", "Seconds", "The Campers Catalog", "Her letter", "When I'm not lookin' ", or "Barefoot CinderElla", I would appreciate it if you did.

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><p><em>Ella's eyes blinked open groggily as she heard a small cry coming from the monitor next to her on the night stand. She felt the bed shift next to her and she let out a contented sigh. "No, I've got this one. You got home late." He let out a mumble of thanks before settling back down on the mattress. So Ella slipped out of the covers and padded lightly down her hallway, opening the nursery door with a small and very sleepy smile.<em>

_"Couldn't let us sleep, could you Mia?" She mumbled, picking up the squirming bundle of warmth and bringing her over to the changing table and lying her down. After Ella changed and fed her baby, she settled down into her rocking chair, rubbing Mia's back soothingly as she sat and hummed Que Sera Sera. Finally, Mia's breathing had calmed and she was fast asleep, so Ella gently placed her back into her crib. She took a quick glance at the digital clock and 2:19 AM glared back at her in bold red letters. Mia had been waking up for the past two nights at almost this exact time. Quick panic set in and made her wonder if Mia was sick, so she resolved to call her mother-in-law in the morning._

_Being a mom is exhausting, Ella thought as she stroked her daughters black tuft of hair and her little chubby cheeks, but amazing. Mia's tiny hand latched on to Ella's pointer finger and held on with a surprising amount of strength, and letting out a content coo as she brought Ella's finger closer. Sometimes Ella had a hard time believing that this little person was hers, and loved her with out stipulation. It was kind of frightening to have someone be completely dependent on her, but it was moments like this one that made every little sacrifice worth it in the long run._

_"We did a good job, didn't we?" Arms circled around her waist and brought her close as he dropped a kiss on her neck._

_"I thought you were supposed to be sleeping," she teased, leaning back into his touch. "She's beautiful." She sighed dreamily._

_"You're not to shabby yourself, so she comes by in naturally." Ella turned to face her husband and ... _her alarm went off.

She flailed wildly from the bed, gasping for air. What in the world was _that_? She stared at the wall from her spot on the floor, taking deep breaths.

"Ella? Ella, you okay down there?" Peggy asked leaning in front of her friend. Ella nodded her head in a daze, still thinking about her dream.

_It just felt so real..._

Ella sighed clicking her e-mail icon on the computer in the camp's computer lab. Her day hadn't been very productive and she couldn't focus in the slightest, and she was positive that her friends could tell. She scanned through the masses of make-up product e-mails, new arrival alerts for her favorite stores, and only stopped to read the ones through the various design schools. After replying to a few, Ella was struck with an idea. With a squeal of happiness, she logged off and went to her home-page, why hadn't she thought of this earlier?

* * *

><p><em>To<em>: amelia(at)gmail(dot)com

_From_: elladancerbella(at)camprock(dot)com

_Subject_: Hello just sounds so lame...

(1 attached photo)

Dear Amelia,

I don't really know what to say right now, but I feel like you should get to know me... while you can. I'm not sure who you are yet, who your father is, or even what you'll look like. Mostly because I'm only 17. But I saw you last night, in a dream. I was asleep, and I heard you crying, so I got up to take care of you. I saw you lying there in your crib, you little chubby hands waving and your face was as red as my nail polish, and I knew you were mine. From the tip of your nose, to the curl of your hair, to the life time it felt like to sing you back to sleep; it was beautiful and I knew that I loved you. I think your father would call you Aims. At least that's what he called you when he held me. I had just put you down and I was just watching you sleep, all your little coos and wiggles, then he just came behind me and held me tight. "We really did a good job, didn't we? I love you, Aims." This might be TMI but then he told me that I wasn't to shabby either. ;)  
>It might sound crazy, but I've been told that's genetic, so you'll probably get a double dosage. Just sayin'.<p>

Your future mom,  
>Ella<p>

PS- I put a picture of my nails! They're a little chipped... but still... you get the point!

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><p>Thirteen year old Amelia stared at her mothers gift in confusion. After their argument this morning, she wasn't sure her mother would want to talk to her or could stand to look at her; Mia would have done that, but she wasn't expecting a small envelope with an e-mail address and password to be given to her and be in her possession. Honestly, Mia didn't see how this was going to help her out. Of course she was aware of her mother's unusual habits, but usually she was pretty spot on in what people wanted or need to hear in a situation. So, she opened the internet browser and opened up the account. Her mouth dropped open in surprise at the number of e-mails in the inbox.<p>

She clicked the contact lists and saw the list of her aunts and uncles, which she read with a small smile. Sighing, she clicked back to the inbox and scrolled to the first date in the inbox.

_**June 13, 2010**_


	2. Chapter 2

Ella let out a cry of frustration as the dial-up disconnected for the fourth time in her small window of free period. "Come on you hunk of junk!" She growled, smacking the monitor. Jason suppressed a laugh as he went to open the cabin door, but Ella's next sentence caught him off guard. "I just want to talk to my daughter, damnit, is that so bad?"

"You have a daughter?" Panic was the only thing that crashed on to Ella's face as she spun to face him. She eyed him up and down for a minute before releasing a sigh and patting the stool next to her.

"Come on, I've got something to tell you."

* * *

><p>"... and you see Jason, that's my daughter, Amelia." She explained with a sigh as Jason fixed the computer wiring. His brows were knitted together in concentration, but it wasn't from the wires. "Do all girls think like that? Or have dreams like yours?" Ella gave a small smile and shrugged. "I hope so."<p>

Jason gave her a half-smile before closing the circuit. "Me too."

"To bad that free time is over." She whined with a small pout, crossing her arms. "Well, it's not like I had anything important in today's e-mail."

"Why do you say that?" Jason asked, sliding his stool back under the table.

"I try and write her about what's going on in my life, so that she knows that I went through similar things. I just, I want her to love me." Ella confessed as they made their way out of the computer lab.

"Then write to her about you. Like an interview."

"I wouldn't know what to ask."

"I do, I've been in tons of interviews." Ella raised a brow sceptically.

"And you promise you won't tell anyone else?" Jason held up a hand and made an 'x' over his heart.

"Cross my heart."

* * *

><p>Dear Amelia,<p>

I thought you should get to know me a little by filling out one those silly "20 question games". Your uncle Jason helped me pick the questions.

**If you were going to design a birdhouse, what would it look like? **

- Well, right now it'd probably look like a normal house... but I'd use an eight-note to shape the roof. It'd defiantly have to be cream and pink though; elegant, but not bold enough to scare the birds.

**What's your favorite fruit?**

- Watermelon. I could live off of watermelon during the summer, Mia. (Do you like that nick-name? I thought if your father was going to call you Aims, I'd find something.)

**What's the last childish thing you've done? **

-This is going to sound totally awful. But it was raining really hard at camp and there's this huge steep hill that gets super muddy. Well, me and my friends got a ton of plastic sleds and slid down into the lake. It was so gross and the stains might not come out, but I didn't really need that third pair shorts.

**What's the last bad joke that someone told you?**

- It was Shane. God, it was so bad. We were driving back into town from the camp and he just randomly said "I wonder if it's ranch or vegetable." So, like an good friend would do, I asked "What?". The jerk just smirked and said "The dip in the road." See, isn't that bad?

**the last song lyric you heard?**

-"We're like fire and rain, you can drive me insane..." Your uncle Shane and aunt Mitchie sang that song for us the other day. It's totally true for them. They bicker all the time, but they keep it together. I hope your dad and I are that happy together, Mia.

**the last movie you watched**

_-Moulin Rouge_, that movie is greatness. The singing, dancing, artistry, and don't get me started on the clothes ;)

**What do you want to be?**

- I don't know yet. I keep changing back and forth between singing and fashion. I'm not so sure about the fashion thing because I sort of feel like everyone expects that of me. No one here really respects me as a singer, besides Barron and Sander of course. But I don't want to do something that I'm not happy in for the rest of my life, ya know? -le sigh- Grown up people problems.

**If you could drop everything and go anywhere where would you go?**

-Probably somewhere in Italy. Maybe Milan if I did the fashion thing, but everywhere is so gorgeous. I hope that you'll see the world like I did, Amelia. It's weird, I don't even know you yet but I want the very best for you. I bet that how most parents feel.

**What famous person, living or dead, would you have dinner with?**

-Eleanor Roosevelt, because she's a very inspiring woman in a leadership position who had a husband was not only the president but had polio. Not only did she manage to keep him in better spirits during one of the darkest times in American history, but she became one of the strongest female icons of her time.

**What's your latest craving?**

-Pistachio Almond Ice Cream. It is so good. No lie, I've been thing about stock piling it in my freezer.

**What book is popular right now?**

_-Twilight_ by Stephanie Meyer. I hate that book with a passion. I get it, he looks like a a marble god with bronze hair. Quick question though; how do you liquify topaz? Because that's a gem stone, just saying.

**Over played song on the radio?**

-Poker Face by Lady Gaga. I get it, he can't read your poker face. Maybe he should find a new game to play.

**What's your favorite quote?**

-I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.  
>Agatha Christie<p>

... and there's gonna be 20 serious questions in the next e-mail. Thank your Uncle Jason.

Love,

Your future mom

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><p>Amelia rushed into the house from school and slammed herself into her computer chair, itching to get to her mother's next e-mail. It was weird seeing this part of her mom without having to ask or something. Not that her mom shut her out, but how did you bring up cute boys to your <em>mom<em>? It was just to weird. But these e-mails made her feel like she had found that her mom led some secret life before she existed. Mom had done something other than make sure everything was flawless in peoples wardrobe? Her mom _sang_?

She drummed her fingers impatiently, a habit that she'd learned from her father, as the browser loaded the message. Finally, the list appeared and she scrolled to the bottom.

_**June 14, 2010**_


	3. Chapter 3

I still don't own Camp Rock, but I do own the ideas.

**A/N:** If you haven't read "Novelty", " Never Have I Ever", "Rose Garden", "Painting Wild Flowers", "Sharing", "Winning Roses", "In Sickness", "All in the Timing", "Seconds", "The Campers Catalog", "Her letter", "When I'm not lookin' ", or "Barefoot CinderElla", I would appreciate it if you did.

**For Logan**

* * *

><p>Jason jogged across the camp, looking for Ella. The nineteen year old finally spotted a small pink shimmer heading in the same direction as the computer lab.<p>

"Hey," Jason called out, picking up his pace. "hey Ella, wait up!" He stumbled over a root but found his footing before continuing on his way over.

"Hey Jase, what's up?" Ella smiled looking slightly panicked.

"I wanted to talk about Amelia." Ella let a startled noise before commanding him to silence.

"Well, I don't! Tess found out today, and I'd like to keep my crazy under wraps for a little while longer." Jason frowned at the annoyance that Ella was radiating, but was positive it wasn't aimed solely at him.

"I don't think you're crazy."

"Well, I'm sure Tess does. Now what did you want to talk about?" Jason gulped, he'd never handled an irritated Ella before and wasn't sure how to proceed.

"I'd like to write an e-mail to Amelia." Jason's palms began to sweat when Ella's face blanked.

"You're kidding me, right?" She looked at him, dazed. "Why would _you_ want to write to a figment of _my_ of imagination?"

Jason's brow furrowed and his frown deepened.

"Did Tess say that?" Ella threw up her hands.

"What does it matter?" She stomped into the cabin and slammed the door behind her.

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><p>"Tess, we need to talk."<p>

The blonde looked up from her nails and stared at the supposedly air-headed guitarist. She waited for a second before sighing irritably "What? You wanted to talk to me, so get to it." Jason's jaw squared and his eye-brow twitched, a tell that he was prepping for a verbal fight.

"I know that you found out about Amelia." Tess froze for a split second before going back to filing her nails.

"Yeah, so?" Jason ground his teeth.

"It's not stupid. In fact it means a lot to Ella, and I don't really like that you have to put her down at every turn. Isn't it enough t-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a second bird-brain." Tess interrupted. "I never said anything like that, I wasn't even going to bring it up." She set the emery board down and looked Jason in the eyes, to prove her innocence. "I know I can be a bitch, but this is Ella's thing." Tess sighed and twisted a lock of her blonde hair around her finger. "I can kind of understand where she's coming from. God, I wish my mom had done something like that for me. That would have made life _way_ easier." She gave her hair a sharp tug and Jason winced for her.

"Well, I think you should clear that up to Ella." Tess' icy blues took him in critically. "She's all paranoid that you're going to out her in front of the camp... Like you did with Mitchie." Tess averted her gaze to the dirt.

"I'll talk to her."

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><p>Ella stared at the blank computer screen. She couldn't think of a single thing to say for the 20 serious questions Jason had given her. Thinking of Jason, Ella slammed her head down on the table. She felt awful about the way she'd treated her friend. He hadn't done anything to deserve that, his idea was even kind of sweet.<p>

The door to the computer lab swung open and Ella sprung out of her chair.

"T-tess! What are you doing here?" She stuttered as the ice queen of camp strutted over to her.

"I wanted to talk." Tess cleared her throat and sat down, so Ella sat back down too.

"Ella, I talked to Jason, about Amelia." Ella gulped, this could only be bad. "I don't think you're crazy. It's a little weird, but hell, I've done crazier things." Tess gave a ghost of a smile. "I actually think it's kind of sweet, and I understand where it's coming from, non-present mom's who ignore our existence." Tess nudged Ella's foot with her own. Ella gave a sad nod and tried not to speculate what the blonde was saying. "So, I'm keeping it a secret. You can tell everyone when you're good and ready." Tess finished, patting Ella's shoulder, until she noticed the open e-mail account.

"What is that?"

Ella fidgeted.

"That's today's e-mail. I-i don't have anything written for today; I can't think of any answers for Jason's questions." Ella confessed. Tess looked at the paper and squinted at Jason's chicken scratch.

"I've got this." She moved Ella out of the way and logged on to her own account.

"Wh-what?" Ella squeaked as Tess began to type out Jason's questions.

"I'm going to send this e-mail. It'd make more sense if someone else filled it out about you." Tess stated, never peeling her eyes off of the screen. "Now what's the e-mail account?"

"Amelia at gmail dot com." Ella watched as Tess' fingers moved at light speed over the keyboard.

"Ella, you can go... ya know? I've got this." Ella searched Tess' eyes before giving a consenting nod.

"O-okay, I guess."

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><p><strong>To:<strong> amelia (at) gmail (dot) com

**From:** Popsicleprincess (at) camprock (dot) com

**Subject:** Changing it up

Dear Amelia,

Surprise, it's Tess. Jason gave your mother some questions and I thought it'd be better for someone else to fill them out instead. She may not like me that much for this, but she'll probably get over it, your mom is one of the nicest people I know.

**What is your favorite memory?**

-Sometimes, your mom says really crazy and ditzy things. Like this one time, she wanted us to pick out a nail polish for her and the two colors looked exactly the same. It wasn't until I was using them later that I noticed one of them was a matte polish and the other was a shimmer coat. We had all sort of teased your mom about it, and then we all noticed the difference and teased ourselves for not listening.

Or the time she pushed Nate into the lake.

God, that was the _best thing ever_. He was being all stupid and gushy with Dana and then said something offhandedly that really made Ella _ticked_, so she just shoved him in! He looked like a drowned rat!

**Who was your first love?**

-It's got to be Nate. Her first summer here, she fawned over him like he'd made the moon or something. Not very many people actually liked Nate at the time and it was sort of surprising for someone to put up with "Mister Grumpy" (that's what we called him, and sometimes we still do.) But Ella took it upon herself to be his friend. She might have been ten, but the girl was always pretty smart with people.

**What was your first heartbreak?**

-Her father's death. It wasn't a romantic love or anything, but I'd never seen your mom be so broken. We were all at a Jam practice, and Brown called Ella away. She only came back to the cabin to pack her things. We were ten and didn't understand what was going on, and that was the summer everything started to change. My mother started going out on promotions and tours more often and Ella's mom pretty much abandoned being a mother. It was one of those heartbreaks you just never heal from.

**What are your biggest insecurities?**

-She'd never say this out loud, and she might kill me for telling you this, but I think it'll be okay. One of Ella's biggest insecurities is never being good enough. She always puts so much into everything, and sometimes people just take that for granted. Her mother never told her that she was good at anything and it took awhile for people at camp to even acknowledge that she was a good artist on her own. I hope that she goes into fashion. While she'd be an awesome performer, there's just something about watching Ella work on a new outfit or making something completely new out of something that other people thought was unusable.

**Name a time you did something brave or took a big risk?**

- It took a lot to stand up to me when she was a teen. I had done some really stupid things and your mom finally had had enough of me. So she just told me like it was and walked away. I could have crushed her reputation at camp, but she just never looked back. It was something I've always admired about your mom.

**What group would you consider yourself to be in as a teen or student? (kinda like clique I guess...)**

-At camp your mom was defiantly part of the popular crowd, if only because her status. But at school, she was teased a lot because of that status and wealth, so she was kind of a loser. When we were in our early teens, your mom let people walk over her and I was one biggest culprits of that.

**What's your biggest fear?**

-Your mom doesn't talk about it much, but think her fears have to do with her father's death. She's always been kind of nervous about airplanes, but it got worse after her father's plane crash. But I think the big one would be that everyone she loves dies before her or abandon her.

**What's most important to you in friend?**

-I can't answer this one for Ella, but I know that for me, extreme loyalty and patience are really important. I'm not easily broken and I'm not very pleasant to be around sometimes, but your mom is a great friend and has always shown me how true of a friend she is by sticking up for me or telling me when I've done something that was out of bounds.

**Name an event that changed the way you interact with people and the world around you.**

-I might sound like a broken record, but your Grandfather Pador's death.  
>Ella tells everyone that she loves them before she leaves a place, just to make sure that she doesn't leave anyone with doubt in case something happens to her. It's like, if she died, she wants her last words to be "I love you." so that people don't regret the last words they spoke to her or wonder what her last words to them were.<p>

**Who's your biggest inspiration?**

- I think it'd have to be Peggy. Not only did Peggy stand up to me and went on to win the Final Jam, she also stayed amazing friends with your mother. Never once did Ella have to wonder about being left out or forgotten, because Peggy was always there. And when she needed a comforting shoulder, she went to Peggy, who knew exactly what to say to help her out.

**If you could change the world in one way, what would it be?**

-Ella would probably like to fix domestic abuse or violence. She hates fighting and doesn't see the point of it most of the time.

**What's your work ethic like?**

-Your mom's work ethic kind of sucks sometimes. If it a project that she knows is going to be hard, she'll dive right into it. But if it's something that she could do in a short amount of time, she'll procrastinate as long as possible.

**What's something you hope you'll never grow out of?**

-I hope your mom never grows out of taking pleasure in the small things. She happier when she gets to spend ten minutes extra in the shower or gets a new lip gloss. She's just happy to be there in the moment and I hope that she never loses that.

**When you're in a tough situation what gets you through it?**

-Your mom gains the back bone of Superman and hauls everyone else through the mess with her. It's not until after that she panics or cries. But if you play a Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movie and get some ice cream, she feels a lot better. I've seen her a Caitlyn have a few of those nights together.

Jason has a few more questions on here, but I can't read his hand writing.

Later,

Tess Tyler

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><p>Mia tried to hold off a few days before opening the next letter, but it was just to good. So she hurriedly clicked <strong>June 16, 2010<strong>, and was surprised to find that wasn't in fact from her mom, but from her Aunt Tess.

...

This could be interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

If you haven't read "Novelty", " Never Have I Ever", "Rose Garden", "Painting Wild Flowers", "Sharing", "Winning Roses", "In Sickness", "All in the Timing", "Seconds", "The Campers Catalog", "Her letter", "When I'm not lookin' ", or "Barefoot CinderElla", I would appreciate it if you did.

**For Logan**

* * *

><p>Ella skipped into the wardrobe cabin with a huge smile on her face. Today's canoe ride with Luke had been amazing and, surprisingly, fun. Luke, unlike Shane, actually knew how to work a canoe and even taught her how to row on her own. Ella really liked Luke, sure he could be bratty and rude, but he when he took the time he could be a really great teacher. If he didn't burn out on the dream to make it as a singer, Ella truly thought that he should try his hand at teaching others about music. Maybe not little kids or even regular high school students, but at a music school where students would take his work seriously.<p>

She tried to not think about it anymore, what Luke did outside of his summers was his business and not hers. Besides, she really did have a fabulous time, she reflected as she swung open the door to the wardrobe cabin and made her way over to her station. Letting out a content sigh, Ella fired up her sewing machine. While Luke wasn't here to kiss her senseless, she could certainly think about it while she worked. The way it felt to have his lips move on hers, it was light and breezy, and just what the summer ordered.

"Hey Ella I wa- Um, Ella? You there?" Nate tapped her shoulder and Ella nearly fell out of her chair.

"God! Nate, don't scare me like that!" She huffed, fanning herself and hoping that her blush wasn't to obvious. He chuckled and leaned back against the table, "Well, I wasn't exactly sneaking around Ell's. Wow you must be really into today's project," He noted her red face and the slight sheen of sweat "Or you're sick." His concern leaked into his voice, but Ella brushed off his worry.

"Nah, it's just a little warm in here. I've been meaning to bring that rotating fan from the mess-hall into here." Nate frowned anyway and adjusted to sit on the table. "Well, anyway I was going to ask you about that new number with Luke," He noted the way she perked up at the mention of the singer, "did you like it?" Ella bobbed her head, "Oh yeah, it was great. I really loved the style. I haven't quite put a wardrobe together yet." There was a pregnant pause before Nate shifted the conversation.

"So you and Luke are pretty serious, huh?"

Ella grinned and shook her head. "Nope," She popped the 'p' and turned back to her sewing, re-threading her bobbin. "It's just a summer thing, nothing to serious, you know?"

No, no Nate didn't know and he was sure to voice that.

"Well, what about you and Dana?" Ella questioned, doing a few test runs before picking up one of Caitlyn's brightly colored performance outfits.

"We dated for a few months."

"Uh-huh," Ella waved a finger, "that's your mistake. You tried to extend a summer fling."

"What about Shane and Mitchie, are_ they_ making a mistake?" He countered but Ella shook her head again.

"They spent the entire summer_ looking_ for each other, the next year_ talking_ to each other, and the summer after that one_ learning_ about the other. They didn't just jump in feet first." She quipped, not looking up from her work.

"Well, what's the point of dating someone if you're not going to continue it after the summer?"

"The fun, Nate!" Ella laughed. "Summers are the best, you can flirt with anyone and be someone totally new and they don't get too attached."

"Isn't that a bit... um..." Nate couldn't find the right word to actually describe how he felt about that,

"Of being a floozy? In away I guess," Ella paused and patted Nate's knee. "Nate, I'm seventeen. I'm not looking for Mister Right, I'm just looking for Mister Right _Now_."

* * *

><p>Dear Amelia,<p>

I want you to read this letter and know that your first love at thirteen will not be the only one. There's gonna be a long line of ugly, slimy, pimpled frogs before you find your prince. But that doesn't mean you need to look for Mr. Right straight out of the gate, sometimes it's okay to have Mr. Right-now. That's sort of how I feel about Luke. He's kind of nice, cute, and really talented, but I know he's not my "HEA" (Happily Ever After). But maybe you'll prove me wrong; that's the great thing about these e-mails, you're in the future reading my mistakes while I'm actually making them. Okay, so maybe I'm not going to tell you all the deets... but you'll get most of them.

Love,

Ella

* * *

><p>Amelia couldn't believe what she was reading for<em><strong> June 19th, 2010<strong>_. Her mom was basically telling her to date_ every_one. Well, not _every_one, but her mom was telling her to go have fun with someone that she was interested in and that it was okay to be with a boy. Mia scanned the e-mail again and looked Was it possible that her mom had dated other people and wasn't with her dad the entire span of her life? Looking at the faded photo from their wedding, Mia decided that maybe her parents hadn't always been together, but they were now and that's what mattered.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I still don't own Camp Rock, but I do own the ideas.

If you haven't read "Novelty", " Never Have I Ever", "Rose Garden", "Painting Wild Flowers", "Sharing", "Winning Roses", "In Sickness", "All in the Timing", "Seconds", "The Campers Catalog", "Her letter", "When I'm not lookin' ", or "Barefoot CinderElla", I would appreciate it if you did.

**For Logan**

* * *

><p>Summer went by at an alarming rate for Ella. She would dream of the season for ten months and it felt like it passed by in the blink of an eye. No over protective mothers, no classes that she didn't like, swimming, singing, and <em>clothes<em>. Everyone gave her a good bye hug as her brother finished loading her things into the back of his Honda Accord.

"You'll be back next year, right?" Nate asked giving a pointed look at Luke, who was over her shoulder. She glanced back at her summer fling and then back to Nate.

"Yes Nate, I'll be back at Camp Rock. It's my home, not matter what the other places may offer." She gave him a wink and then wrapped him in a hug. "I'll see you soon, Mister Grumpy."

His arms circled back around her and she felt him grin into her hair.

"True facts, Sparkles."

* * *

><p>Ella couldn't be more thankful that her birthday and graduation were right around the corner. She had a lot on her plate at the moment with the choir banquet, the school musical, Spanish Honor Society banquet, Historical Society Banquet, Thespian Society Gala, and the Soccer banquet too; so many things to attend with not enough time to actually enjoy them all. Not to mention that she still had school and work at the Sonic, but she also had college applications.<p>

She had been applying to some colleges, but spent the majority of her time applying to design schools much to her mother's distress.

Everyday she'd tell Ella to not run to her when her "silly little dream" doesn't "pan out the way you hope." Ella knew what she was doing, and she knew it'd be along shot to the top, but she'd rather design clothes for JCPenny's than file papers at a law office or something. So, Ella had stopped talking about design school, got a crappy part time job because she couldn't touch her savings, and scrapped together enough money to pay for the applications in secret.

Sure her job sucked, made her smell like tater tots, ruined her make-up, and made her sweat like a pig, but if it helped her get to where she wanted to be, then damnit, she'd just put up with it for a little while longer.

* * *

><p>"Eleanora, what is this?"<p>

Ella glanced between her opened mail and her mother. "I don't know mother, you know more than I do apparently." Lynne Shum's lips mashed into a thin line.

"I am your mother, and you will do well to respect me. Now, what is this nonsense about? We've discussed this silly idea of you being a store clerk." It was Ella's turn for her lips to become a line.

"It's not silly to want to be a stylist or a designer, Mother, and you're the only one who thought it was stupid."

"Aiiah, if your father was here..."

"If dad was here, he'd tell me to live my dream. Even if I was penniless, as long as I was happy." She shouted, running down the stairs and out the front door and into her car.

"Eleanora! Get back here! Don't you-" But it was too late, Ella had already driven off and called the first person she knew who would give her an honest opinion on her future...

"Hey Nate? Is it a bad time?"

* * *

><p>"... and that's when I came here." Ella sniffed taking one of the tissues that Nate had offered and collapsed on his bed, her Sonic uniform was sure to embed the smell of tater tots into his room and linens. He laid down next to her, staring at the ceiling as well. "Nate," He turned his head to look at her. "Do you think I'm stupid for wanting something like this?"<p>

If Nate hadn't seen the tears sliding down her face, he would have believed that it was just another fight with her mom, but he could and it was clear that it wasn't just another verbal spat.

"No Ella, I don't think it's stupid to work towards a dream, I think I'm living proof of that." He tried to smile and earned a soggy laugh.

"Yeah, except you're actually talented." His stare hardened as he watched emotions flicker across her face.

"Did your mom tell you that?" He didn't need to hear a verbal answer, because the slight recoil at the venom in his voice was enough for him.

He sat up and brought her with him.

"Ella, I need you to look at me." He took her face in his hands gently and met her sad brown eyes. "You are **not** stupid and **neither **are your dreams. They may not be what your mom has in mind, but you've got a lot of talent and you know that I wouldn't just say that Ells." She held his hand closer for as second as she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"You don't think I'm stupid? Even if I-" She took a shaky breath and met his dark brown eyes "wrote e-mails to my future daughter?" Nate shook his head and grazed a thumb over her cheek.

"Not even. Who else would even take the time to consider writing to someone who isn't born yet." He tapped the end of her nose. "That heart of yours is what makes you special, Ells. Everyone else knows that but you." She sighed and laid back down on to the bed spread, then reopened her eyes.

"Nate, have I told you about Amelia?" He shook his head and sat cross legged, studying her face for any gives that she might reveal.

"Well, she's this baby, _my _baby, from my dreams and I _do _actually write e-mails to her. Usually, I'm okay and I just tell her things that I wish someone would have told me. But then I have days like this, and I..." She blinked rapidly and gathered her thoughts. "And I keep wondering, 'What if I screw up?' and 'What if she hates me?'. It's so terrifying to even consider the option that my not-even-born-yet child might hate my guts."

Nate stayed silent as she began to play with the necklace her father had given her, a habit that she indulged in when she was worried, nervous or upset. "Everyone always tells me how I'm like my mom, but I just _don't see it._ I mean, yeah, maybe before my dad's plane crash." All movement stopped as a fresh round of tears started. "What if my husband died? Then I might actually be my mother. God, I'm going to screw my kid up! She's not even born yet!" She sniffed and wiped her eyes, and Nate took one of her hands into his.

"Ella, that kid is going to love you. She doesn't even know you yet, but I'm pretty sure she knows that you're the best person she could have asked for, for a mom." He gave a small grin and Ella launched herself into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm just so scared of messing up, Nate" She whispered.

"Me too."

* * *

><p>Dear baby Amelia,<p>

Your grandmother Shum is not someone you'll get actual, useful, advice from. She won't take you to get your first real bra or buy you something other than underwear that come in the packs. I know because I speak from experience. She also wont encourage you to do something that is considered an "artistic" career.

Don't get me wrong, Mia, I love my mom.

But sometimes I feel that my mom is this robot and doesn't feel anything. She just tells me to get over it and that more things will hurt me in the future. I know that mom, but where were you when I need you to protect me from Tess, or tell me not to go to after prom with Adam, or get me birth control.

She wouldn't even give me THE talk because she felt like I should just know what that was or I should except that it's "bad for me to have sex."

It's so hard to talk to her, especially after your grandpa Pador's plane crash.

Mia, I'm going to try my best. I promise. I know that I wont be perfect and we wont always get along, but I want you to be able to talk to me about anything. Even if it's lip gloss.

Please believe me,

Ella

* * *

><p>Amelia heard her father speaking in hushed tones over the phone, not that it was uncommon for him to be on the phone, but it was strange to hear him speaking in such intensity.<p>

"Lynne, you may not like what Ella does, but you owe her that much to be there for the runway show." Her father paused and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Ms. Shum, you've isolated yourself from your son and have all but disowned my wife. Did you know that your _only_ grandchild is thirteen now?" He waited for a response.

"No? That doesn't surprise me, you haven't seen her since she was five." Her father took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "If this is going to be such a problem for you to show up to the premier of your daughter's line and support her then don't bother to offer to take care of Aims. She's coming with us."

Her father's sudenly turned and his posture went rigid.

"Lynne, you have no right to tell us how to raise our child. It's not for you to decide if the nick-name I have for _my_ child is feminine enough. It's pure luck that Ella is as amazing as she is, she had no help from you." Even Amelia could hear her grandmother's angry yelling from her spot on the stairs. "Maybe, you should take into account that you could have helped Aims more than you ever helped Ella."

"Well, yes, it is a shame you haven't seen her. Because Thanksgiving wasn't that long ago and Christmas just went by, oh and I didn't notice that you tried to come to New Years." Amelia shrank back behind the banaster.

"Oh yeah, we've_ purposely _have tried to keep Amelia from you. Never mind Ms. Shum, I think I know your answer. Thank you for your pleasant conversation."

Amelia sat on the stair case for a minute and then ran up to her room. She thought over what she'd just heard her father say to Grandmother Shum. Had her grandmother really not supported her mother? Amelia glanced over to the little hambuger phone that her mother had purchased her while she was gone on a business trip and dialed a number.

"Ella Pador, how can I help you?"

"Mommy, it's me. I just wanted to call and say that I love you."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **For Logan and Anna, because they can always dampen the flames.

* * *

><p>Ella felt a bit like Harry Potter, watching the minutes tick by until her eighteenth birthday. Her bags were packed and her storage unit was filled to the brim with all her things that she had purchased. The room at her mother's house would still be furnished, but without Ella's personal touches it was a very sterile and almost hostile shade of ecru. Everything she was taking with her belonged to Ella and Ella alone. She was paying for her gas, credit cards, car note, phone bill, and even most of her own food. Did her mother even notice that her car had magically gone missing in the past week? She already knew that answer. The clock ticked down and Ella counted along with it, closing her eyes and making a wish, a wish for something truly spectacular to happen to her. Her phone rang loudly as soon as the clock hit midnight and Ella knew exactly who it was.<p>

"Hello."

"Ella! Ella! It's Mitchie! I've had four cups of coffee and some drink with a weird logo on it!" She heard a few muffled scraps before the phone switched hands.

"Hey glitz, it's Cait. - _Mitchie calm down, we're supposed to be quiet!_ You ready to go?"

Ella pulled down on of her blinds to see Caitlyn's Jeep Wrangler parked on the curb. "Yeah, I'll be out there in a minute." She gathered her bags and silently made her way down the stairs. She stopped in the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator, taking out the birthday cupcake she bought herself from the fancy gourmet bakery; because she knew her mother wouldn't take the time to even buy a Wal-Mart cupcake. Ella took the door knob in her hand and paused.

If she did this, she could never look back.

Her mother would never forgive her for leaving, even if she was of legal age. Barrett, her brother, had at least waited until graduation. But his dreams were more in line with what their mother wanted and Ella felt like she was at her breaking point. She twisted the handle, and left.

It took 23 seconds of outrageous courage to leave everything she knew behind and open herself up to the future.

She had nothing to tether her to Florida anyway. She had requested an early graduation, and had been approved. Her reputation didn't mean anything to her, just her mother, and leaving also meant that she could go to camp early and actually help Dee and Brown have an actual plan.

The only thing that Ella wasn't looking forward to were her living arrangements, and while the Grey's had all insisted that she wasn't a burden, she still felt like a bum.

* * *

><p>Dear Amelia,<p>

Today is my birthday, and instead of doing things that normal 18 year olds would be doing, I'm moving across the country. See, when you get older you eventually move out of your parents house. For me, I wanted to get out as soon as possible. So that's exactly what I did. I worked, paid for my own things, boxed up all my things and moved out on the stroke of midnight. Yeah, I'm going to have to live on my friend's couches for a little while, but the end will more than totally justify a few cricks in my neck.

I feel so independent right now, with the wind whipping through my hair and knowing that I'll never have to look back. It might seem ridiculous to take a chance like this, but isn't that what life is about? At the end of your story, don't you want to look back at all the amazing things you've done and be proud of yourself? Or do you want to look at the empty pages of what could have been?

Yeah, I'm eighteen now, big whoop. I'll have time for partying, smoking, and lotto tickets later. Right now, I'm declaring my independence, and that Mia, is worth more than any Chanel purse.

Love,

Your future mom.

* * *

><p>Mia took a deep breath as she landed face down in her pillows, it had been a long day of school, practice for debate, volleyball, and home work. So of course she put it off to read a letter. After reading her mom's e-mails, it was hard not to see her in a different light. Her polite, courteous, and docile mother had moved out on her own. She had bummed off of people's couches, worked crummy jobs, and had to work tooth and nail for everything she owned. Yet, she wasn't bitter, had made great grades in school, and just seemed to make everything look easy.<p>

"You okay, Aims?" She felt her bed sink and she looked over at her father.

"How did she do it?" She mumbled into her pillows as he moved a strand off the side of her face.

"Who did what?" Her father had an understanding look, but was asking for confirmation.

"Mom." He gave a small smile and the crow's feet around his eyes became more evident.

"Well, she had a lot of drive and determination. Not to mention, something to prove." He kicked her foot with her own and she gave a small smile of her own. Never one to mince words, her father just jumped straight to the point. He'd been blessed with musical talent, sure, but his social skills didn't develop until much later.

Amelia's favorite story to hear was how her mom had rejected every musical form of "asking her out" and made him swallow his pride and just ask. No melodies, guitars, or violins; just him stuttering over a simple phrase.

"It just makes it so hard to feel bad for myself." She pouted, propping her head up on her elbow.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Her father rolled his eyes and gave a short laugh. "Well, I have to go meet up with your Aunt Tess."

"You mean my _favorite _Aunt Tess?" She gave a laugh.

"Don't inflate her ego like that, she's almost as bad as Uncle Shane."

"He would be offended if he heard that, daddy." She gave a smirk that she had inherited from him and he scoffed.

"Of course he would." He got up and crossed the room. "I love you, Aims. And, just because your life wasn't as hard as mom's doesn't mean it's not hard." She scrambled off the bed and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thanks daddy."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: So the Indie Camp Rock Awards have started! You can find them on twitter as **IndieCRAwards** and **www(dot)wix(dot)com(forward slash)indiecamprockawards(forward slash)website(hash tag)(Exclamation point)**

I'd really appreciate a nomination or a review, just to know that someone is reading.

* * *

><p>"Is it wrong that sometimes I think mom and dad will forget about me?" Amelia asked with a sigh, casting her line into the lake. The former Connect 3 guitarist shook his head.<p>

"No, it's completely legitimate to feel like that Aims." He cast his own line and ran a hand through his graying curls. "I remember when my little brother was born. I was so jealous for no apparent reason." He gave a chuckle, leaning back and let his feet sink into the cool lake water. "This squirming, pooping, crying bundle of meat was distracting my parents from me."

She pondered that for a minute.

If her impossibly sweet uncle could dislike his baby brother, so could she, that didn't make her a bad person. Jason smiled again and nudged she shoulder. "But I eventually got over it, some how. I think I realized that he wasn't personally attacking my quality time with the parental units, at least not on purpose. However, he didn't realize that when our youngest brothers were born."

She sullenly swung her legs back and forth, her toes skimming the surface. "I don't know Uncle Jase, it's like mom and dad are so happy for this new kid. Was I not enough? I don't know." Her brow knotted and she stared at the water. Jason let out a happy laugh. "Well, I guess we know where you got your mind set from."

"H-hey now! I am _not_ as pessimistic as my dad." Jason grinned and leaned back to the cooler, fishing around for a coke.

"Mia, when I was your age I didn't even know that word existed."

"But they're so _old, _they'll be like fifty something when it graduates."

"Your sibling." She stared at her uncle as he gently tugged on a strand of her hair.

"What?" He gave a small smile and cracked open his drink. "Your new brother or sister. They're not an it, thing, or a invader in your mother's womb. They're your flesh and blood." He took a sip, letting out a satisfied sigh before setting the can down. "Aims, I'm not telling you that this is going to be easy for you but you have to love your new sibling." She grimaces and crosses her arms. "Don't be like that, you're going to love being an older sister. You can show her all the things you loved when you were her age and actually give her good advice."

Amelia turned away from her uncle.

"I could write her an e-mail." She rolled her eyes and picked up her line, giving it a sharp tug for no apparent reason. Jason clapped her on the shoulder and shook her around with a wide grin on his face.

"Exactly!" He looked out to the water and down to his reel. "Oh hey, I've got a bite!" Amelia perked up a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah, help me reel it in!" Even though she knew the older man didn't need the help, she couldn't help the grin that came with being in the presence of Jason. She laughed as he made enthusiastic tugs and pulls, even though he probably just caught a rainbow trout.

When the fish sprang out of the water Mia gave a laugh, rainbow trout.

"Okay, you get to take it off." She stared at him as he held out the fish to her. Raising an eyebrow she looked at him skeptically. He appeared to be serious.

"Uncle Jason, I've never been fishing." But she took the clear string in her hand as the fish floundered in the air, thrashing wildly. His eyes widened and he looked between the fish, her and the lake with clear panic on his face.

"O-oh yeah, I forgot that..."

"You've never taken a fish off the hook, have you?" He tapped his foot nervously.

"No. Caity always does it..." She hated to point out the obvious, but her aunt was no where in sight.

"Why don't we just cut the line? Throw the fish back that way?" She offered with a shrug.

"Why are we throwing the fish? Can't you just set it back in the water and let it swim away?" Again she shrugged, but they set the fish in the water and cut the line.

"Well," clapping his hands together and plopping back down on the pier, "guess that just leaves you, doesn't it?" She smirked.

"You didn't bring extra hooks did you?"

"Don't tell your father."

* * *

><p>Dear Amelia,<p>

I want you to know that it's never weak to be afraid of how you feel. It's not something you need to run away from or hide from other people. More than likely there's someone who's going to understand how you feel, and are more than happy to listen. I know that I will always be there. That's what family is about, loyalty. Family is so much more than blood; It's understanding, complex, comforting, and loving. It's something that you should never turn your back on.

Your mother didn't really have that from her own mother, and it makes it hard for her to believe that she's worthy of a family and I hope that she learns that when you come around. She's like my little sister, your mom that is, and I'm trying my best.

Just know that when you finally exist, I'll be there for you too.

For whatever you need.

Love,

Uncle Jason

* * *

><p>Jason's house was built for a family, Ella decided as she stared at the ceiling in his guest room.<p>

Fully furnished, decorated, well lived in, and ready to move into. It didn't feel stuffy, like some houses did, it felt more like a home that Jason lived in every day instead of just a few weeks out of the year. The sun shone inside and Ella burrowed further under the soft moss green comforter, she didn't want to be awake. She wanted to pretend that she was already in her dorm room and living on her own. Not that she didn't like living with Jason, but she hated the unsettled feeling that she felt like she was taking advantage of their friendship. It was her day off, why didn't her brain realize that too? She really didn't need to stress out on her day off.

The door creaked and she peaked out from the comforter again. Jason grinned at her from the door and waved a bit.

"Did I wake you up?"

She groaned pathetically as she stretched and arched her back. "Nah, I was having problems sleeping anyway."

"Great, I made breakfast."

Ella bit back a sigh.

"M'kay, how much is groceries?"

Jason paused in the middle of shutting the door. "What?" His eyes narrowed as Ella swung her legs out the bed and headed towards her purse. She had to be joking.

"How much were the groceries, Jase."

"You've got to be kidding me." Jason groaned, slamming the door behind him and brewing on his way to the kitchen. He could hear her feet dashing after him and Ella rounded the corner in time to watch Jason dump his chocolate milk down the drain.

"Jason, seriously! What did I do?"

Jason turned away from the sink with a grunt and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't want you to pay for groceries, Ella. You don't have the money for that and it's not like it was expensive anyway. Can't you just accept my help?"

Ella stiffened.

"Well, I'm sorry that I'm being such a pain." Jason sighed rolling his eyes with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, I didn't phrase that right. Usually it's just Nate that has that problem." She couldn't help the tiny grin that blossomed because, despite what the other two Gray brothers thought, they all had their verbal short comings. But Ella nodded her head anyway.

"Okay I'm just a little annoyed that you seem to think that you're taking advantage of me and my home, because you're not and I invited you to live with me. You think that you're being a hassle, when you're totally pulling your own. Don't think I haven't seen you cleaning." Ella's blush spread from the tip of her nose to her hair line.

"I- I just..."

"I get it Ells, for you everything has always had a price." She nodded reluctantly. "We're friends, friendship is free." Ella grinned slightly.

"Are we going to hug this out?" She asked, holding her arms open.

"Don't we always?" Jason laughed, squeezing her tight. "You can always count of me, Ella. No matter what, you can always believe that."


End file.
